The latest on California politics and government

September 2, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - One week after California Republicans gathered in Tampa, Fla., for the Republican National Convention, California Democrats arriving here over the weekend composed a strikingly more diverse group.

About 28 percent of the Democratic delegation is Latino, according to a party official, compared to 7 percent of Republican delegates who identified themselves that way.

The rapidly expanding Latino share of the electorate provides the Democratic Party a substantial advantage in California. The Republican Party still struggles to attract those voters.

About 20 percent of the Democratic Party's delegates are African American, according to the party, compared to 3 percent of the Republican Party's delegation.

More than one in 10 Democratic delegates self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, the party said.

September 2, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- California delegates to the Democratic National Convention are getting a SWAG bag that is less glitz than campaign gear this year.

Among the contents of this year's gift bag: a "Wendy Greuel for Mayor of LA" water bottle, a pen and pad promoting state Board of Equalization Member Betty Yee's 2014 state controller bid and a pencil from the California Teachers Association urging the writer to vote No on Proposition 32, a ballot measure on campaign finance rules that unions are opposing.

September 2, 2012

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A California delegate to the Democratic National Convention was hospitalized early this morning, after apparently falling unconscious in a hotel lobby following a night of drinking, while another delegate became confrontational with hotel staff and has since left the delegation, a party official said.

The hospitalized man has since been released from the hospital, California Democratic Party spokesman Tenoch Flores said.

Flores said two men were involved in an incident early this morning in the lobby of the Blake Hotel, where the California delegation is staying. He declined to identify either man or to say where they are from.

"Oftentimes at conventions, people who have not seen each other for a long time gather and sometimes people have too much to drink," Flores said. "That appears to have been the case here, and we're gathering more information."

Later, in a statement, Flores said the delegate who was not hospitalized became disruptive with hotel staff and emergency responders, prompting hotel staff to call police. He said the delegate was not arrested but was asked by the state party to leave the hotel and to not partake in convention activities. The statement said the delegate apologized to hotel staff and agreed to "forgo official delegation activities."